The sign and marquee of the State Theater in Ely, MN.

Exterior of Waldmann Brewery in St. Paul

Corner of historic building with decorative carving

At Rethos, we practice

The New Preservation

Traditionally historic preservation has been associated with efforts to capture a building or a place, arrest its ongoing evolution, and prevent new uses or modern interpretations of how it can serve today’s needs. That model doesn’t work and we need to move forward.

Historic preservation needs to be every bit as much about the future as it is about the past. We save buildings and places not for the structures themselves, but for their importance to us. We save them to tell our stories, to remind us of our histories, and to serve as cultural touchstones. But we also save buildings and places so they can be transformed into useful and beneficial tools to meet the needs of today’s communities, and those of tomorrow. That’s the New Preservation.

What We Do

MN Candidate Survey Results

Rethos sent a survey to all of the candidates currently running for the Minnesota House of Representatives. We work year-round to build nonpartisan support and consensus around community development, commercial revitalization, and built environment sustainability. We look forward to the 2025 legislative session and will continue to advocate for communities across the state with the understanding historic and cherished places are not replaceable.

You can see the full responses of all respondents here.

“Commercial revitalization and lifting up our local business economy is critical to the longevity of our state.” (Jen Fox, 41B Candidate)

“I think the initial costs to taxpayers [by adding Minnesota Main Streets] as a permanent line item will more than pay off in the revenue historic businesses and community centers will generate.” (Aron Schnaser, 7A Candidate)

“Keeping the old with the new also makes areas unique, people want this.” (Rich Tru, 3A Candidate)

“[The Conversion of Underutilized Buildings tax credit] aligns well with sustainability. Especially since 80% of the dollars used to rehab a building goes toward labor versus material. Reuse is much more stable than rebuilding.” (Cheryl Youakim, 46B Candidate)

“We live in a throw away society so placing an emphasis on saving things that are worth saving should be given a priority.” (Bob Sullentrop, 62B Candidate)